OT Amtrak train derails, dangles over interstate in Washington

[Chris Craig]

At least 3 dead. Train was goung 81 on a max speed 30 corner. Apparently there was something on the tracks as well

 

[dviss1]

Yeah, they never should have put the tracks across the freeway without an overpass. Clearly that led to this problem.

barfo

Apparently, the overpasses weren't upgraded. That's what I'm getting from that quote.

 

[Chris Craig]

Apparently, the overpasses weren't upgraded. That's what I'm getting from that quote.

Wider? Stronger barriers to protect the freeway? Reinforcement

 

[Strenuus]

It sucks. Train is one of the best (and safest) forms of travel.

The vividness effect will be real for awhile, just like with any other "rare travel" accident. My thoughts go to all the people hurt or worse... I just hope people realize how -rare- this is. I'm actually taking a cross-country train trip in May. I have no fear in traveling by train (I've taken the train almost a dozen times in the last 10 years. From here to LA, Chicago, Lousiana, Texas, etc) and it's always been safe.

But, on the other notes - yes, there should be a "cap" on speed of trains. Time shouldn't be of concern with trains. It's about enjoying the scenery and experience.

 

[MarAzul]

Protect freeways! Baloney.
At these speeds and higher, vehicles riding gravity contact rails are just the wrong technology .
Need a free bore tube to just accelerate the vehicle down the tube with magnetic induction field much like a carrier catapult. Totally constrained with in the field and tube. Good for maybe 500 mph.

 

[MarAzul]

It sucks. Train is one of the best (and safest) forms of travel.

The vividness effect will be real for awhile, just like with any other "rare travel" accident. My thoughts go to all the people hurt or worse... I just hope people realize how -rare- this is. I'm actually taking a cross-country train trip in May. I have no fear in traveling by train (I've taken the train almost a dozen times in the last 10 years. From here to LA, Chicago, Lousiana, Texas, etc) and it's always been safe.

But, on the other notes - yes, there should be a "cap" on speed of trains. Time shouldn't be of concern with trains. It's about enjoying the scenery and experience.

I have ridden the Amtrak from Seattle to Eugene. Great ride, much more enjoyable than a friggin airplane with the airport hassle. But! Those tracks are crap! Need to be fixed to even support 60 mph. The rails themselves are alright, the support bed is poor in many places.

 

[Strenuus]

I have ridden the Amtrak from Seattle to Eugene. Great ride, much more enjoyable than a friggin airplane with the airport hassle. But! Those tracks are crap! Need to be fixed to even support 60 mph. The rails themselves are alright, the support bed is poor in many places.

Honestly, the train is the best way to slow the world down and take time for yourself and relax... so the notion to speed that up (which will be purely for business so that people will think to take the train for commute between say seattle and portland) is silly. I like taking my time through Montana/Dakota/Minnesota etc. Let me see these places.

 

[MarAzul]

Honestly, the train is the best way to slow the world down and take time for yourself and relax... so the notion to speed that up (which will be purely for business so that people will think to take the train for commute between say seattle and portland) is silly. I like taking my time through Montana/Dakota/Minnesota etc. Let me see these places.

No problem here. Just run a speed the track bed can support- a safety factor, say 15%.

 

[riverman]

Honestly, the train is the best way to slow the world down and take time for yourself and relax... so the notion to speed that up (which will be purely for business so that people will think to take the train for commute between say seattle and portland) is silly. I like taking my time through Montana/Dakota/Minnesota etc. Let me see these places.

I often book stops on my ticket for that reason...and I have family along the route to visit..breaks the trip up really well...great stagger those trips

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Had a memorable ride from Wyoming to Portland in 93 or 94.

Memorable for two things. We got stuck for about 8 hours in the mountains because snow had covered the tracks 10 feet deep..(mini avalanche?)

And..... I was sitting with this beeee yuuuu tiful. I MEAN beautiful 250 lb blond girl. Just gorgeous face and a round body. We talked for hours and flirted and I thought about seeing if she'd sneak into the bathroom with me to fool around.

I figured we'd get stuck so I didn't try anything.

 

[MarAzul]

get stuck so

Ha!
Seems like something Sly would say.

 

[Chris Craig]

If congress would have implemented positive train control instead of delaying it this wouldnt have happened

 

[Chris Craig]

It's not that. It's the "upgrades". They should've laid new track.

They did

 

[MARIS61]

Remember when Obama was running for President and promised to rebuild and modernize our great National RR system?

One of the many promises that convinced me to vote for him.

Beautiful Central Oregon lost it's Amtrak service in 2009.

 

[MARIS61]

Looks like they may have rushed the construction process a bit.

 

[barfo]

Remember when Obama was running for President and promised to rebuild and modernize our great National RR system?

One of the many promises that convinced me to vote for him.

Beautiful Central Oregon lost it's Amtrak service in 2009.

You get suckered an awful lot, don't you? Trump's budget cuts funds to Amtrak by 13%.

barfo

 

[Strenuus]

I often book stops on my ticket for that reason...and I have family along the route to visit..breaks the trip up really well...great stagger those trips

Yep. Stayed the night in San Antonio, got out for a few hours in Dakota, Minny, etc.

Trying to plan for the way back to see a game at PNC park, but I don't think Ill be able to afford with recent bills.... oh well, gives me an excuse to just go back out there in the future. lol.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

I've taken the Starlight Coastal Amtrak train from San Diego to Eugene a few times....last time a guy with 5 kids jumped off a bridge in front of the train and killed himself while his kids watched....we were dead on the tracks for hours waiting for the police and ambulance to deal with it....the crowd on the train was insane trying to see the aftermath....what a thing to do to your kids. Usually it's a great train ride up the coast if you sleep from Sacramento to Shasta...wake up and cruise into Eugene

Had a buddy jump in front of a train. At least he did it alone. RIP

 

[jlprk]

I like taking my time through Montana/Dakota/Minnesota etc. Let me see these places.

Had a memorable ride from Wyoming to Portland in 93 or 94.

The last train trip I took was a 1964 round trip between Vancouver B.C. and Winnipeg. Canadian Pacific one way, Canadian National the other way, to compare. We had a little room with bathroom and beds folding out of the walls. Hearty food in the dining car, great views of big animals isolated from humans way out in the woods. Not at all like views from the road. Take that trip.

 

[jlprk]

It looks like lobbyists got Republicans to delay improved regulations, and since they might have been delayed more years, Amtrak figured, we can't wait forever.

Amtrak didn't wait for system that could've prevented wreck

The rush to launch service on a new, faster Amtrak route near Seattle came at a deadly cost - critical speed-control technology that could have prevented a derailment was not active before the train set off on its maiden voyage.

Work to install the sophisticated, GPS-based technology known as positive train control isn't expected to be completed until next spring on the newly opened 15-mile (24-kilometer) span where the train derailed, according to Sound Transit, the public agency that owns the tracks...

A positive train control system could have detected the speeding and automatically applied the brakes to stop the train...

Amtrak and the Washington Department of Transportation started publicizing the switch to the new route in October. Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson said that "no one wants PTC more than me" but would not directly answer questions about why it is taking so long to get the speed-control technology up and running across the board...

Railroads are under government orders to install positive train control by the end of 2018 after the industry lobbied Congress to extend earlier deadlines, citing complexity and cost...

Positive train control was installed on 23 percent of the nation's passenger route miles and 37 percent of freight route miles as of July..

It's a work in progress on the route where the train derailed Monday. Sensors have been installed, but the system needs to be synchronized, tested and certified before it goes online...

The railroad industry was opposed for decades until a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on with a freight train near Los Angeles in 2008.

http://komonews.com/news/local/amtrak-didnt-wait-for-system-that-couldve-prevented-wreck

 

[stampedehero]

What!!!???? No test run without humans?